Jeffrey Combs Biography
Born: 1954
Initially stunning audiences with his wild-eyed portrayal of psychotic Dr. Herbert West in the over-the-top 1985 splatter-comedy Re-Animator, actor Jeffrey Combs made a name for himself in films based on the works of legendary horror author H.P. Lovecraft and such Star_Trek spin-offs as Star_Trek:_Deep_Space_Nine and Enterprise. Born in Oxnard, CA, in 1954, Combs was raised in nearby Lompoc. After graduating from high school in 1972, he entered the world of acting by attending numerous theatrical schools and performing in repertory theater. Frequently appearing in such venues as the Mark Taper Forum and South Coast Repertory, Combs made his film debut in Whose_Life_Is_It_Anyway? (1981), which was followed by supporting roles in Honky_Tonk_Freeway (1981), Frightmare (1983), and The_Man_With_Two_Brains (1983). Still performing frequently on-stage during this period, Combs was approached by a young director named Stuart_Gordon and asked if he would be interested in appearing in an adaptation of a Lovecraft story. Attracted by the strong script, the actor agreed. Released in 1985, Re-Animator shocked and nauseated audiences into uncontrolled laughter with its outrageous violence and imaginative set pieces. Combs' manic portrayal of a mad doctor who claims to have discovered the key to immortality immediately earned him a place in the lexicon of horror history as one of the great screen psychos.
Subsequently re-teaming with Gordon for yet another Lovecraft adaptation, From_Beyond (1986) proved to be a disappointment when it was released in a truncated form. Knowing that the excess of Re-Animator would be difficult, if not impossible, to top, Combs and Gordon remained undaunted, collaborating on such efforts as Robot_Jox and The Pit and the Pendulum (both 1990). Released that same year and directed by Gordon-cohort Brian_Yuzna, Bride of Re-Animator didn't quite live up to fan expectations, although ultimately proved to be an entertaining sequel by remaining loyal to the tone and content to its predecessor. Subsequently working with such horror stylists as Fred_Olen_Ray (The_Phantom_Empire [1986] and Cyclone [1987]) and Full Moon's Charles_Band (Trancers II: The Return of Jack Deth [1991] and the -Dr. Strange-influenced Doctor_Mordrid [1992]), Combs continued to build a dedicated cult following who remained eager to see what the quirky actor would attempt next. Continuing to appear in Lovecraft-based films, he also branched out with a role as a hitman in Love and a .45 (1994) and as actor Montgomery_Clift in the made-for-TV Norma Jean and Marilyn (1996). A seemingly natural teaming with New Zealand splatter-king Peter_Jackson also resulted in a hilarious turn as an unstable FBI agent in The_Frighteners (1996). Combs' career took an unexpected turn later that year. Having previously lost the role of Commander William Ryker in Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation to Jonathan_Frakes, he returned to the Star_Trek fold when Frakes (as director) cast him as Weyoun in an episode of Deep_Space_Nine. Returning in various capacities later, Combs would become the first actor to play three different characters in a single season of any Star_Trek series. His popularity in the franchise growing, he was later cast in a recurring role in the subsequent Enterprise series. Simultaneously continuing to appear in such features as I_Know_What_You_Did_Last_Summer (1998), House on Haunted Hill (1999), and Yuzna's long awaited Faust: Love of the Damned (2001, channeling Bruce_Campbell), Combs fans were thrilled to hear that he would be returning to the role of Herbert West in Beyond Re-Animator (again helmed by Yuzna) in late 2003. Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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